Posted by SLS on February 6, 2012, at 7:23:38
In reply to Lou's response-ehealthmecouldsaveslives, posted by Lou Pilder on February 6, 2012, at 5:07:05
> Death from Effexor can happen during the withdrawal state.
Yes, it certainly can. "During" the withdrawal state does not establish cause-and-effect. Many people who are withdrawing from Effexor are doing so because this drug failed to improve their severe depressive state. This demoralization can lead some people to commit suicide, even in the absence of withdrawal phenomena.
It is my opinion that Effexor withdrawal can indeed increase the risk of suicide in a few people. I have no statistics or other evidence to support this statement, though. I cannot establish a rate of occurrence. By comparison, how many lives are saved each year by treating depression with Effexor? I would just recommend that people who are discontinuing Effexor, or any other SRI, treat any withdrawal anxiety and agitation that emerges with an anxiolytic or perhaps a mood stabilizer like Trileptal or Depakote. Some people might do well with Gabitril, but I am not a big fan of this drug. It sometimes produces more agitation than it quells.
1. How many people take Effexor, total?
2. What is the rate of suicide for all cases of depression?
3. What is the rate of suicide of people undergoing Effexor withdrawal?
Lou, I don't see that you can accurately depict the rate of suicide produced as a consequence of Effexor withdrawal. Your citations on the ehealme website are all inadequate because they don't take these things under consideration. They present only one statistic in the absence of the other necessary statistics to prove their conclusions. It is a weak argument to list the rate of occurrence in only those people reporting side effects.
4. Who are these side effects reported to?
5. What percentage of people taking Effexor report side effects?
The percentage of people taking Effexor who report side effects is necessarily less than 100% (After all, I never reported side effects). Even with this relatively small number of respondants, your website could report only a 1% rate of occurrence. A small number of a small number is a very small number. Not only that, but there is no way to determine cause-and-effect.
> Now in the withdrawal period, there is the spector of one having suicide ideation that is uncontrollable and the person goes into a mind alterd state to be compelled to want to kill themselves and/or others. The mechinism of this
situation is well-known.Perhaps you can elucidate this well-known mechanism. I am not aware of it
Question: What is the rate of suicide that occurs during Effexor withdrawal?
The answer to this question must necessarily be expressed as a ratio or a percentage. If none of your citations provide this statistic, then you have no evidence to support your claim here.
If you do not answer this question, then I must recommend to others that your claims be viewed by others with appropriate skepticism.
You claim that Effexor is actually a very old drug with a new name. What was the old name of this drug?
You have not answered any of the questions that I have posed you in previous posts. I find this evasiveness to reduce the persuasiveness of your arguments.
- ScottSome see things as they are and ask why.
I dream of things that never were and ask why not.- George Bernard Shaw
poster:SLS
thread:1009375
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20120202/msgs/1009445.html